Welcome to the  Catholic Schools Week 2012 Press Kit     Catholic Schools Week is January 29 - February 5, 2012. The theme is “Catholic Schools - Faith. Academics. Service."      Get Ready for Catholic Schools Week 2012   Next Celebration of Catholic Schools Week is January 29 to February 5, 2012     There are 132,656 private and public schools in the United States, according to Department of Education statistics.  Of those, 6,980 are Catholic elementary or secondary schools.  What sets these Catholic schools apart from the pack? Three things, say educators, parents and community leaders: faith, academics and service. So, fittingly, the 2012 Catholic Schools Week theme focuses on these three priorities. Children are taught faith—not just the basics of Christianity, but how to have a relationship with God. Academics, which in Catholic schools are held to very high standards, help each child reach his or her potential. Service, the giving of one’s time and effort to help others, is taught both as an expression of faith and good citizenship. The annual observance starts the last Sunday in January and runs all week, which in 2012 is January 29 to February 5. Schools typically celebrate Catholic Schools Week with Masses, open houses and activities for students, families, parishioners and the community at large.      A Marketing Kit is produced each year to help schools celebrate Catholic Schools Week. Other merchandise items, such as T-shirts, buttons, pencils and gift items, will be available with the theme and logo. These items will be available for purchase in August from http://.catholicschoolsweek.ncea.org.   Catholic Schools Week is a joint project of NCEA and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. To learn more about Catholic Schools Week, visit the NCEA Web site at: www.ncea.org/news/CatholicSchoolsWeek.asp.   Catholic Schools Celebrate Faith, Academics and Service During Annual Observance Catholic Schools Week Jan. 29 through Feb. 4 Focuses on Benefits of a Catholic Education   Arlington, VA—Catholic schools across the nation are preparing to celebrate National Catholic School Week beginning Jan. 29.  This one-week observance is an annual celebration of the important role that Catholic elementary and secondary schools across the country play in providing a values-added education for America's young people.   This year Catholic Schools Week begins Jan. and concludes Feb.4.   The theme of 2012 Catholic Schools Week is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Academics. Service.” The theme focuses on three priorities that Catholic schools establish that make them stand out from other educational institutions: Children are taught faith— not just the basics of Christianity, but how to have a relationship with God; academics, which in Catholic schools are held to very high standards and help each child reach his or her potential; service, the giving of one’s time and effort to help others, is taught both as an expression of faith and good citizenship.   The Catholic Schools Week 2012 logo is a rectangle, with the words Catholic Schools in red across the bottom of the rectangle. The “t” in Catholic is a purple cross and from the right top corner of the T/cross is an undulating green banner with words in white lettering that proclaim “Faith. Academics. Service.”   The purpose of Catholic Schools Week is to build community awareness of, and involvement in, Catholic schools throughout the country. During this week, many dioceses and schools encourage parents to take full advantage of the benefits of local Catholic schools by enrolling their children in those schools.   The national Catholic Schools Week celebration became an annual event in 1974. The observance is a joint project of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).  Individual dioceses and local Catholic elementary and secondary schools develop and promote their own CSW activities each year.   Often schools will celebrate the parish family on Sunday (this year, Jan. 29); the community on Monday (Jan. 30); students on Tuesday (Jan. 31); and religious and clergy on Thursday (Feb.2.)  In addition, schools often set aside time during the week to honor grandparents.       National Appreciation Day falls on the Wednesday of Catholic Schools Week (Feb. 1)   This event was founded in 1990 to encourage Catholic school supporters nationwide to showcase the great accomplishments and contributions of Catholic schools to our country.  On this day in particular, advocates are urged to wear a button showing their support.   NCEA, founded in 1904, is a professional membership organization that provides leadership, direction and service to fulfill the evangelizing, catechizing and teaching mission of the church. NCEA's members include elementary schools, high schools, parish religious education programs and seminaries.  Click on the graphics below for a full-size image:                Additional Resources: Catholic Educators Make Faith a Centerpiece of Catholic Schools Week An Unreported Story - More Than 460 Catholic Schools Opened Nationwide in Past Decade Fact Sheet: Catholic Schools Week 2012 - National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools  Looking Ahead: CSW 2013: January 27 - February 2, 2013 CSW 2014: January 26 - February 1, 2014